Innovacion

Innovacion appointed to assist Northamptonshire LEP with business planning

Atkins and Innovavion have been appointed to provide business planning support to Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership (NEP).  Using a strategic business planning process and by facilitating a Board Business Planning Day we will help NEP to develop their visions, plans and future directions for the next two years.

Andy Rumfitt appointed to advise the Southwark Housing Commission

Andy Rumfitt has been appointed as part of the Smith Institute team to provide secretariat services to the Independent Commission on the Future of Council Housing in Southwark which will look at housing issues beyond 2015/16. Chaired by the nationally acclaimed housing lawyer Jan Luba QC, the Commission will find innovative and deliverable long-term solutions to the issues created by the unprecedented demand for council housing in the heart of London. While Southwark Council is the largest local authority social landlord in London managing 54,000 homes, the current waiting list now exceeds 19,000. The Commission will invite and hear evidence from key stakeholders, tenants, leaseholders, residents, housing associations and all those who are involved and interested in providing housing across the borough. The Commission will report in October 2012.

 

Dare to Believe...A New Airport for London Part 2

Yesterday the Mayor of London launched his second report examining the economic importance of a new hub airport for London and the UK. What this process is helping to do is make some decisions explicit. And the argument goes something like this. London's success is linked to internationally traded sectors. But London's relative connection to future growth areas like central Chinese cities is declining and it is already falling behind other European airports. Inbound tourism and cargo generate the most potential for the sort of export-led growth that the UK desperately needs now and in the long term. Only a hub airport can provide a comprehensive network of direct long haul routes. Incremental improvements in other airports ('sweating the assets') do not solve the need for a hub airport which is a long term 50 year solution to projected air traffic demand. Regional airports will not be able to operate as a hub of this scale and Heathrow, already at capacity, is suffering 'friction' and resilience issues. High speed rail will only complement rather than replace air travel.  And airports (and to some extent their construction) are good at providing job opportunities at all levels in the labour market. For example we found that there are at least 58,800 air transport and cargo jobs alone in the 15 Local Authorities within a 20km footprint of Heathrow. So with constrained capacity the conscious decision is how much the UK wants to stay in the airport business in the future and how much we are willing to travel via Paris, Amsterdam and Franksfurt if we want to get to the BRIC economies.  As well as some sensible economic arguments there is a sense that a project of this scale will be important to build the UK's ambition and present a confident outward looking face to the rest of the world at exactly the right time.

The London Airport conundrum...

Machiavelli's dictum about the introduction of new things, "There is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage...for the initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old system and merely lukewarm defenders in those who would gain by the new one."

And so it is with airports in London and the South East. However as the Mayor of London makes clear in his consultation response to the Government (‘Developing a sustainable framework for UK aviation’) something will have to be done and a Thames Estuary airport may be the least worst long term option.

Our economic and strategic development thinking that fed into this work highlighted that a Thames Estuary airport would:

• Support the £532 billion Greater South East economy which is the powerhouse of the UK - though its relative competitiveness is declining.
• Provide the economic catalyst that the Thames Gateway has been missing - and a key part of a long term UK Growth Plan focussed on international trading.
• Give a clearly defined focus and location for economic growth - the UK is now the only NW European country without any national and regional planning.
• Offer a long term rather than a 'muddle-through' response to Heathrow’s inherent capacity constraints - which will require the elusive element of long term cross party political comitment.

Yes it would be expensive but big visionary projects are and the UK's competitors seem to (a) make the business and political case and (b) find the money. Yes it would have engineering challenges but again no bigger than elsewhere in the world. But in the long run airports can have huge regional and national economic spin-offs. Washington Dulles airport and its technology corridor is now home to more telecom and satellite companies than any other place on earth. Stockholm Arlanda Airport has 65,000 associated science city jobs. We have to remember that we are where we are because Heathrow's original growth was unplanned and resulted from a series of incremental decisions.

Docklands Light Railway extension to Olympic Park opens

It is always a rewarding and comforting day when a large transport or infrastructure project that you have been involved with comes to fruition.  And today is one of those days. With just under a year to go to the London 2012 Paralympic Games the fully accessible Docklands Light Railway (DLR) Stratford International extension opened today (31 August 2011). Costing £211 million, the 3.7-mile expansion from Canning Town to Stratford International forms a key part of the London 2012 Olympic Games transport network and includes four new stations.

Innovacion produced the Statement of Case for the Stratford International Extension which successfully secured planning permission in October 2006 as part of a Transport Works Act Order application. Innovacion also reviewed potential sources of European grants and loans to support the development of the extension and provided bidding advice to DLR. As a result Innovacion produced a successful bid to INTERREG IVB for station enhancements to the DLR extension and secured €1.57 million in EU funds.

More about the extension from the BBC and Transport for London.

Regeneration effects of upgrading the Woolwich Ferry

Innovacion are helping Transport for London to develop the best approach to assess the regeneration effects of a range of options to upgrade the Woolwich Ferry. The Woolwich Ferry carries around one million vehicles and over two million passengers a year.

National Infrastructure Plan - Beware the strings with private investment.

While the £200 billion outlined in the  National Infrastructure Plan sounds a lot some estimates suggest that the UK needs £300-£400 billion of investment in road, rail and air infrastructure alone over the next 20 years to meet demand and existing power generating capacity is expected to fall by one third in the next decade. And the numbers in the NIP are summing public and private investment. While private investment will have to avoid the dangers of TfL's PPP for the underground it is also likely to come with specific characteristics such as increased tolling of any new roads, tunnels and bridges if we want them. Nothing is free.

 

Innovacion review Extra Care Housing demand in North Yorkshire

Innovacion and Atkins have been commissioned to review the forecasts and assumptions used for a housing need analysis for extra care housing provision across North Yorkshire and its seven Local Authorities. The study is the first stage in the development of an Outline Business Case (OBC) by North Yorkshire County Council to consider the merits of developing further schemes in addition to the existing 12 ECH schemes that have been successfully developed since 2003.  

Getting the big picture right: A guide to large scale urban design by CABE

Andy Rumfitt was a member of CABE's Strategic Urban Design Panel and the summary guide for large scale development and extensive online resources have now been published. 'Getting the big picture right' outlines a new approach to large scale urban design that allows people to shape the places they live or work in, and improve their distinctiveness and quality. It will help those organisations and partnerships – often with a mix of public and private partners – tasked with working with local people to prioritise actions and investment. The new guide is supported by a step-by-step guide to the large scale urban design process.

The CABE summary guide can be downloaded from here: http://www.cabe.org.uk/publications/getting-the-big-picture-right

For the extensive CABE web resource please go to: http://www.cabe.org.uk/strud

Outer London Commission: Geography matters

So the long awaited final report from the Outer London Commission (OLC) has now been published (25 May 2010). We produced a range of economic policy papers which formed the LDA's input into the ruminations of the OLC. Overall the report generally takes a fairly realistic view of the economic potential of Outer London across a wide range of issues - some of which sit uneasily together. With this wide remit it is inevitable that some areas are covered more convincingly than others. The consideration of the scale and nature of office development in Outer London sensibly concludes that aspirational super hubs are exactly that. Increasing development through public sector investment in higher and further education, hospitals and civil servant relocations by expanding the existing 'star and cluster' spatial structures is a realistic way to try to drive change.  

In other areas the ideas are more debatable. It is not clear why a high value service firm would want to use a local suburban library for meetings, even if it is renamed as an ICT hub. Today's launch of Apple's iPad is likely to be another uptick in what mobile working actually, rather than theoretically, means. Our hunch is that a greater freedom in where you work means that the importance of the other factors that make up desirable places actually increases. The result isn't a levelling the playing field effect but a concentrating effect. Desirable places become even more sought after: less desirable places even less so. While the report also suggests that putting firms together in an innovation park means they will work together these sort of developments have a pretty chequered history in the Capital.  In many sectors service firms will work the firms they need to rather than they are near to. Our survey partner is in Yorkshire. Our IT services come from San Francisco and Lancashire. Our accountant is in Cambridge.  

One overriding feeling remains.  While the OLC chose to look at the different rings around London the bigger and more meaningful economic difference is still that between east and west London extending out from central London and into the Greater South East mega-region.  So while the Crossrail benefits concentrate along an east-west axis they also spill out along radial links into Outer London. You can't change hundreds of years of geography that easily...

Outer London Commission Final Report (Pre-publication, May 2010)

Making sense of housing - best practice from CAA green flag local authorities

With 2.5 million council tenants currently and an additional three million homes planned by 2020 local authorities play a major role in the management and development of housing locally. Local Authorities are having to respond to future challenges including how to provide more (affordable) housing in better designed places, how to reduce homelessness levels and how to respond to demographic trends. The CAA Green Flag authorities of Blackpool, Corby and North Yorkshire County Council have undertaken a range of innovative and successful housing activities. Blackpool Council has substantially reduced its levels of homelessness through a range of initiatives. Corby Borough Council has 16,000 new homes planned or built and has secured £2 billion of investment. Working in partnership with seven district councils, housing associations and other partners North Yorkshire County Council has developed 11 new Extra Care schemes which provide a new independent living option for its ageing population.

Download the case study produced by Innovacion for IDeA from the Work Together site 

Innovacion develop economic options for London's Royal Docks

As part of a Regeneris team Innovacion have been commissioned by Newham Council, Design for London and the London Development Agency to develop and appraise the strategic economic options for investment priorities in the Royal Docks over the next 25 years. The economic study will explore development scenarios and options based around the current array of economic assets and identify the supporting infrastructure required to bring forward sustainable development. This commission forms the initial stage in the production of the Royals Development Framework which runs through to March 2011.

Coulsdon's Economic Future reviewed by Innovacion

Innovacion and EDP Associates have been commissioned by Croydon Council to review the economic, demographic, property and commercial conditions of Coulsdon which is a district centre in the south of the Borough. The study aims to set a baseline for any future local regeneration and development strategy and, in particular, guide any discussions with strategic partners around the redevelopment options for the nearby Cane Hill site.

Outer London - handle with care

While the diverse nature of Outer London has been rightly highlighted in the new consultation draft of the London Plan, strategies for accelerating its economic growth in tough times will have to be carefully handled with care.

Rumfitt A; "Outer London - handle with care"; Town & Country Planning (December 2009)

Download Outer London - handle with care (TCPA December 2009)

Andy Rumfitt appointed to Yorkshire Design Review Service

Andy Rumfitt has been appointed as a panel member of the new Yorkshire and Humberside Design Review Service being established under the Integreat Yorkshire programme which is run by Yorkshire Forward.  

The Design Review Service panel will discuss projects in the context of criteria of good design and provide views of how well or otherwise that the project addresses those criteria. The aim is to assist the project team by providing useful feedback to enable improvements in their design proposals.

The Design Review Service will provide advice on a wide range of built environment issues including new buildings, masterplans, green spaces, urban frameworks and other planning and spatial strategies.

Croydon and Gatwick: Competitive Opportunities and Risk

For Croydon Council Innovacion is considering the strategic options and issues in developing the functional relationship between Croydon and Gatwick including its economic hinterland. Risks to Croydon’s attraction and retention of firms were considered along with its sectoral strengths and the required supporting infrastructure.

TCPA Sustainable Communities and Planning Conference: 1 Dec 2009

This conference celebrates the Centenary of the Housing and Town Planning Act 1909 and addresses the planning challenges of today. As John Burns, President of the Local Government Board, said, the 1909 Act would ‘provide a domestic condition for the people in which their physical health, their morals, their character, and their whole social condition can be improved’. While ‘morals’ are now left to those outside the planning system, it is still through planning that housing and social conditions can be improved, and the new, big challenge is, of course, climate change.

Download TCPA Annual Conference 1 Dec 2009 Brochure

People or Proximity: Where does growth come from in outer London?

As a successful retail centre in a great location on the Thames, Kingston is the desirable home for highly skilled workers. Access to high quality environments (parks, river) and the transport network (Heathrow, Gatwick, roads) also add to the attractive locational mix. And Kingston has the high house prices and waiting lists for good state and private schools to prove it.  

Retail aside Kingston’s relative specialisation in business services aligns with a key international strength of London. Parts of this specialisation will be in providing local business services. In Kingston, the usual range of local accountants and solicitors will service the needs of the local business community and a burgeoning army of freelancers, many home based, as well as benefitting from a high level of passing trade. Other parts will be linked to London’s globally competitive strength in business and professional services. These are built on an extensive and deep labour market across the 21 million residents in the Greater South East.

Two thirds (64%) of the residential workforce in Kingston are managers and professionals compared to just 42% in Croydon. This is a non-trivial difference. Being able to source highly skilled local labour is a key comparative advantage for the firms in Kingston. And goes some way to explain the relatively low level of out commuting for such a residential part of outer London. The make-up of a local area’s population including its occupational profile has a big impact on long term economic development.

Over the other side of outer London different drivers are at work. Despite its relatively poor river crossing options, north Bexley has developed as a relatively (in a London context) cost effective location for a range of near market functions. As time really is money Michael Porter and others identified this proximity advantage many years ago. These locations offer potential as the profitable base for time sensitive activities. So in Belvedere we have a concentration of food logistics operations such as ASDA, Londis and Lidl, office support services such as Viking Direct, Iron Mountain and Office Depot plus construction and printing. Here the most important competitive advantage is proximity to a very large consumer market plus the central London concentration of office functions. Without this near market logic other economic activities which are exposed to international cost pressures such as the manufacture of cables are very much history.

Understanding the underlying drivers explains how a local economy got to where it is today. But it also sets parameters on where it can go tomorrow.

Andy Rumfitt appointed as a Delivering Design Quality Enabler for Transform South Yorkshire

Andy Rumfitt has been appointed as a Delivering Design Quality Enabler for Transform South Yorkshire. Andy will bring his 18 years of economic development experience from many different areas and geographies to help the largest Housing Market Renewal area to champion design, build capacity, develop projects and disseminate best practice.  Including Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley and Rotherham Transform South Yorkshire covers 130,000 dwellings and almost 300,000 residents.

Innovacion study for Outer London Commission published

Innovacion's analysis of eight key locations in outer London produced for the LDA has been published by the Mayor of London's Outer London Commission. Using a range of information sources the study considered various economic characteristics of Croydon, Stratford, the Heathrow Area, Brent Cross, Wembley, Kingston, Woolwich and the Upper Lee Valley. These included economic scale, economic profile and performance, business and skills base, property (current supply), planning (future supply) and economic catchments.

View the study on the Outer London Commission website

Download Key Locations in Outer London Published Version